Coin chute for vending machines



July 14, 1931. c. WEBER 1,813,977

COIN CHUTE FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Feb. 11, 1950 INVENTOR ATTORN EYPatented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES WEBER, OF NEWARK, .NEW'JERSEY.

COIN GHUTE FOR VENDING MACHINES Application filed February 11, 1930:Serial No. 427,526.

This invention relates to vending machines, and more particularly to acoin chute for such machines provided with means for detecting the useof fraudulent coin substitutes.

I An object of the invention is to provide a coin chute for detectingand ejecting coin substitutes lighter in weight, paper discs or thelike, than the coin for which the chute is de signed.

A further object is the provision of means in a coin chute for detectingand ejecting coin substitutes of non-magnetic material,

said coin substitutes being of substantially the same weight as therequired coin and 15 having apertures therein.

A further object is to provide a coin chute having means for causing acoin to travel fiatwise, and having a contour whereby coins of theproper weight will acquire sufficient momentum to carry it through thechute.

A further object is to provide an exceedingly simple, efficient andinexpensive coin chute having means for detecting and ejectingfraudulent coin substitutes.

These and other objects are attained by the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown inthe accompanying drawings, constituting a material part of thisdisclosure and in which:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 represents an elevational view of the device.

Figure 3 represents a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the chute is shown to include a base plate ofnon-magnetic material, having an upper arcuate portion 4, connected by ahump to an inclined and substantially straight lower portion 6.

The upper portion 4 is covered by a casing 7, which extends almost tothe hump 5; while the lower portion 6 is provided with a similar casing8, which extends over the hump 5 and engages the casing 7 at a shortdistance above its lower mouth.

The casings and base provide passages sub stantially rectangular incross section, so that The upper portion and the casing 7, at theirupper extremities are bent to provide a passage 10 slightly inclinedfrom the horizontal and having a mouth 11 adapted to v receive coins ofthe proper size. Adjacent the mouth 11 is positioned a permanent magnet12 for the purpose of deflecting coin substitutes of magnetic materialthrough the opening 13 in the side wall ofcasing'l.

Further down the upper arcuatebase portion 4 is mounted a flat spring 14projecting up through an aperture 15 in casing 7. This spring is of suchstrength that it will not interfere with coins of the proper weight; butwhen coin substitutes of less weight, such as a cardboard slug, areused, such substitutes will be deflected by the spring 14 upwardlythrough the aperture 15.

Between the hump 5 and thelower extremity of easing 7 is a bracket 16attached to the under side of the base 4. Pivotally mounted on thebracket is a. lever having one arm provided with forks 17 and 18, andthe other arm 19 weighted so that it will normally rest against aprojection 20 on the bracket, as 75 shown in Figure 2.

When a coin substitute, such as a slug of non-magnetic material having acentral aperture, reaches the fork 17, the latter is moved forwardly,causing the lever to ro- 89 tate and the fork 18 to enter the aperturein the slug, preventing the latter from traveling over thehump 5, andcausing the slug to fall through an aperture 22 in the base.

In order to accelerate the return of the leverto its normal position, aspring 21, attached to the underside of base 4, engages weighted arm 19upon each operation of the lever. When a proper coin is used in thechute, the forks 17 and 18 do not interfere with its passage; but assistin boosting the coin over the hump 5. so that it will notfall throughthe aperture 22.

The upper portion of the chute is initially vertical, to give the cointhe proper momentum to carry it over the several impediments in its pathdesigned to eject fraudulent substitutes. The upper portion of the chutethen curves towards the horizontal so that the passage of articles overthe spring 14 and AW forks 17 and 18 Will not be too rapid to preventsuch impediments from functioning properly.

It Will be noted that the chute is rectangular in cross-section so thatarticles Will slide flatwise therethrough. The non-rolling and flatwisetravel of articles through the chute enables the several fraud detectingdevices to properly function at all times; and makes possible thepositive detecting of light weight substitutes, or apertured substitutesWhich may have been given an initial velocity in an attempt to avoid thecoin substitute detectors.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a simpleand inexpensive coin chute having reliable means for detecting andejecting fraudulent coin substitutes of the common and well known types.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive andillustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of theinvention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed includingmodifications without departing from the general scope herein indicatedand denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A coin chute having an upper portion and an offset lower portion, ahump at the en trance to the lower portion, said chute having anaperture in its base immediately preceding the hump, a forked leverprojecting up into the chute and pivotally mounted on the base thereofat a point preceding the aperture, and resilient means engageable by thelever to assist in urging the latter to a predetermined position.

2. In a coin chute having an aperture in its base intermediate itslength, a bracket attached to the underside of the base adjacent theaperture, a lever pivotally mounted on the bracket, said lever having aforked arm projecting into the chute, and a Weighted arm extendingdownward, a projection on the bracket to limit the movement of the leverin one direction, and a spring attached to the underside of the base ofthe chute and engageable by the lever When the latter has been moved inan opposite direction.

3. A coin chute having an upper portion and an offset lower portion, ahump at the entrance to the lower portion, said chute having an aperturein its base immediately pre ceding the hump, and a forked leverprojecting up into the chute and pivotally mounted on the base thereonat a point preceding the aperture.

This specification signed this 22nd day of January, 1930.

CHARLES l/VEBER.

